Failure
by WarriorPoetGirl
Summary: After failing to seal the three-tails an angsty Ino questions her path in life
1. Chapter 1

It's not like Ino had a curfew. You can't impose curfew on someone who may be called away on a dangerous mission at a moment's notice. Yet, she had called them and told them

that she was going to be back at four. She'd been on her latest mission for about a week. It was twelve o'clock. Ino's mom had already gone off to bed. Inoichi tapped his foot impatiently. She was

going to get a good scolding if she didn't come through those doors by twelve-thirty. At twelve-forty five Ino stumbled in, awakening her sleeping father who had dozed off on the couch.

"Ino where have you-Ino?"

Her hair was a mess, her eyes were red like she'd been crying and she smelt like a bar. Inoichi had seen her tipsy, but never straight out drunk. She stumbled closer and collapsed. Inoichi caught

her.

"Easy there, Ino-chan." He said, any anger he felt dissapearing as she rested her head on his chest and starting sobbing like a baby. "Are you alright?"

"Do I freaking look alright?!" She snapped.

'That's my Ino.' He thought. He unconsciously stroked her hair, which had always soothed her when she was a child. It didn't work now and she continued crying.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm a failure. I'm just...I suck, okay?"

"What do you mean?" He asked. He assumed the mission had not gone well.

"We were going to seal the three-tails. I fucked it up. Akatsuki's probably got it by now."

"You can't win them all."

She pushed him away, then grabbed his shoulders as her knees buckled. He was tempted to carry her off bridal-style to her bedroom and just continue the conversation in the morning.

So, the Akatsuki had gotten the three-tails. It was bad, but not so bad. They still had a long way to go and he was certain ANBU could handle them. He knew if he picked her up she

would claw his eyes out so he didn't do that.

"It was because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough."

"How old are you again?"

She looke genuinely hurt. "You forgot how old your own daughter is? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Ino, it's called a rhetorical question. You're sixteen. Of course you're not going to be able to do everything."

"Look at Sakura. Look how good she is at controlling chakra. Hell, I KNOW she's a better fighter than me."

"Okay. Maybe so. But can she do the mind transfer jutsu?"

"Well, no, of course not."

"See? You are good at something."

"Yeah, but.." She paused. "Maybe I shouldn't even be a ninja anymore."

He rolled his eyes. "Remember when you were five and you failed your first spelling test? Then you decided you never wanted to go to school again?"

She blushed lightly. "Kind of..."

"Then you remember we made you go? And you passed your next test didn't you?"

"This is different. Lives are on the line now."

"You just figured that out, Ino?" Inoichi tried to keep the scolding tone out of his voice, but he knew from the ashamed look on her face that he hadn't. "Of course lives are on the line.

Everytime you go out on a mission I worry...I worry that you won't come back." Now he held back his own tears. She was staring down at her feet. "But I believe in you. The question is,

do you believe in yourself?"

"...No." She answered.

"That's a problem. Why don't you sleep on it?"

She opened her arms. "...Carry me?"

Okay, how much had she drank? He'd be surpised if she could make it to her room without falling. He picked her up. She fell asleep instantly. Or more like it went into an alcohol induced stupor.  
"I love you, you crazy brat."

"I love you too, Daddy..." She mumbled.

(To be continued. Please read and review!) 


	2. Chapter 2

Ino woke up the next day with a splitting headache. She held her head. She vaguely recalled a man carrying her up to her bedroom...wait, it was her dad. Her mother walked in.

"Good morning, Ino."

"Good morning, Mom."

"How's that hangover?"

"Bad. Very, very...I think I wet my bed. Sorry."

She stood up. Yep. A wet spot was on the bed. Ino had wet before. Her mother had never scolded her for bedwetting , but she had

been made to wear a diaper to bed up till around five (it wasn't a punishment it just made everyone's life easier). Ino prayed silently that her mother thougt her to old for that.

"Well, Ino-chan, the day can't get any worse for you."

"I wonder..."

"I'll bring you some coffee. You clean the sheets."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ino stripped the sheets off the bed and took them off to the washing machine. This wasn't the first time she'd wet the bed, but it was the first time since she'd figured out how to tie her shoes.

It was positively humiliating. And why did it feel like someone was banging her in the head with a hammer? Her mother brought the coffee which she graciously accepted. She had been so upset

after failing the mission she had just drank and drank and drank...

'Well, Ino, no more alcohol for you.' She thought to herself. Of course, that was a lie. She walked into the kitchen. Her dad smiled at her.

"G'morning, Ino-chan."

"Good morning, Dad."

"Say, how would you like to come to work with me today?"

"Is it bring your daughter to work day again?"

"No, there's just something I'd like to show you."

"Okay." Ino said, curious.

After breakfast they headed out to the Konoha Interrogation Center. Even walking in the place gave Ino the creeps. She often wondered how in the world her father, who was by no strech of

the imagination intimidating, got a job working there. Of course, he wasn't intimidating to her, maybe that was the thing. Her father led her to a room. A prisoner was tied up.

"Ino, meet a thief we caught. I have a mission for you. Go inside his mind and drag out who he's working for."

Her jaw dropped. "Daddy, are you serious? I...well...I mean I've never done this kind of thing before. I can get inside his head, but I don't know what to do after that."

"I'll help you out."

The thief looked from father to daughter. "Is this your kid? What the hell, is this some sort of father-daughter bonding bullshit?"

"Shut up." Both Ino and Inoichi snapped.

"C'mon, Ino, you can do this."

Ino sighed. "Okay. But back me up."

"Sure."

Ino focused and tranferred her consciousness into the thief. Her father caught her body. Ino "felt" around the man's mind. She could see his memories. He had been born in the Hidden Stone, had

gone rogue, was working for someone...that's when she felt the first barrier. She couldn't get past it. She then sensed her father next to her.

"It's a strong barrier." He commented. "Do you think this guy uses mental jutsus?"

"Maybe..." Ino responded.

Suddenly her sense were overwhelmed and she saw Shikamaru, naked in a waterfall. Her breath caught in her throat. Shikamaru smiled lustfully at her. His hair ran down his neck. He motioned for

her to join him. She stepped forward. Her father grabbed her shoulder

"Ignore it." Her father said. "It's just a trick."

She blushed. She'd spent nights dreaming of Shikamaru's touch, long sleepless nights with a fire burning in her loins.

She closed her eyes. When she opened them Shikamaru was gone.

"How did he do that?" Wondered Ino.

"He's a genjutsu master. Was that just a fantasy or a mem-"

"A fantasy." Ino snapped, a bit more defensive than she'd intended.

"It's alright, you're just a healthy girl." Inoichi said. He found his daughter's crush on Shikamaru positively adorable in fact.

The block fell and Ino saw deeper into his mind. She saw him standing before a masked man, dressed in the uniform of the Akatsuki. The masked man ordered him to capture Naruto.

"So, he's working for Akatsuki." Said Inoichi.

They returned their minds to their bodies. Inoichi had Ino interrogate a few more of the prisoners. Each time she entered into their minds her father would reveal a new jutsu. Her confidence

grew as she explored her newfound powers, mental powers she had previously not even dreamed of. She soon found herself passing through whatever mental barriers her targets set up

with great ease. At the end of the day she'd nearly mastered three new jutsus and left the building feeling confident. She smiled up at her dad.

"Daddy, I know what you were trying to do. Thanks."

"Did it work?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm not really a failure."

"No you're not. Say, you want some ramen?"

"Sure." She said as they walked towards the ramen shop.

(The end) 


End file.
